The Role Event Photography Plays in Documenting History Today

Yes. No Instagram to discover new trends and cafes for breakfast. No Facebook albums to share with family and friends. No Pinterest boards to help plan your next holiday and no photos of your wedding, family or kids growing up.

During a recent trip to the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, I developed an even deeper appreciation for photography and the role it plays in documenting history.

Mexico’s history dates so far back in time that it can only be understood and interpreted through paintings and glyphs carved from stone, which makes me wonder what life really looked like for the Mayans or indigenous people when the Spaniards invaded.

Over the past two hundred years, photography has become the most important medium used to document landscapes, architecture, modes of transport, fashion, emotion, events and so much more.

Looking at old photographs of townships and moments in time is always entertaining and insightful. The architecture, fashion and emotion of that time gives us a sense of how people lived their lives, what resources were available, how much has changed and how quickly technologies have advanced.

Remember that only a couple of decades ago most photographers were still only shooting on film, which was a slow and expensive process that not every budget could afford.

Photographing events is still quite a new concept that has rapidly evolved over the past twenty years, thanks to the advancement of digital photography which is more accessible and affordable.

With the power of wifi technology today, history can be documented online within minutes from a digital camera and only seconds with a smartphone.

It’s incredible, the possibilities are endless and the amount of historical information people of the future will have access to is infinite.

In light of this topic, here are some photographs of landscapes and moments from Australian’s History. Enjoy!

Brisbane River and Story Bridge 1939. (Image source: SL Blogs)

Chapel Street, Melbourne in 1890. (Image source: unknown)

John Bradfield – prominent Australian engineer overseeing the design and building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. (Image source: Wikipedia)